John Bates had built up a lucrative business over the years. He had seen a gap in the market when he was just 19 years old and thanks to a bank manager that had the fortitude to back him he had been able to set up.

He had married his childhood sweetheart and after ten years he had agreed to start a family, and a baby girl, Jonnie, joined them. As much as John loved his daughter he really wanted a son to carry on the business but it seemed that they weren’t going to be blessed with another baby.

Jonnie idolized her father and sometimes her mother would take her into her fathers workplace just to placate her. He would show her off to his employees before rushing them back out again because he was so busy. He seemed to spend longer & longer at work the more the business grew and soon he was barely around for Jonnie, not even at her bedtime.

Jonnie excelled at school and it was her dream to take over the family business when her father eventually retired, then when she was fifteen her mother had told her she was pregnant. It was a bolt out of the blue for Jonnie who was both excited and apprehensive because of her mothers age.

Well, it transpired that the baby was a boy and he was the apple of his fathers eye. Jonnie saw how much involvement her father had with the baby who soon grew into a toddler, and her father would take him everywhere he went. Jonnie wasn’t resentful, she loved her baby brother, but she wished that her father could have shown her the same amount of love.

Jonnie attended college after leaving school and did a business course still aiming to take over the reins from her father when he retired, so it was a bombshell when he announced one day after dinner that he would be staying in his post until John Junior stepped into the role. Her father didn’t see the look of utter dismay on Jonnie’s face, but her mother did, and she leaned across the table to squeeze her hands and give a faint smile.

Jonnie made her own way in the world then; she mixed with different people, she drank and she partied hard. She had lost her way in life. Then, when John Junior was nine he was involved in a tragic accident and suffered brain damage after a fall from scaffolding. He lasted barely six months before his life support was turned off and the Bates’ family went to pieces. Her father stopped going to work and the business took a swift downward turn. It had taken years to build up but at this rate would be folded in months. Jonnie’s mother spoke to her and begged her to step in to save the business but Jonnie refused. She had a job, yes it was a dead end job that she hated but her father had shown her how little she was worth.

Six months later her father suffered a massive heart attack and died. She was bereft; why had she let the rift between them grow so much and why hadn’t she been more understanding? After the funeral she told her mother that she would try to save the company to keep her fathers name alive & current. Her mother took solace in this because she had always believed in Jonnie and that she should have been her fathers right hand person.

Present Day

Jonnie had to let most of the staff go to remain solvent, but gradually the business is growing. She has two girls working in the office with her and between them they look after all of the other employees. Lauryn helps with the wages and accounts, while Erin is secretary without whom Jonnie would be lost. The girls have been allowed a certain amount of flexibility but while Jonnie was at a business meeting recently a colleague suggested that the clothes they wear hardly make for a professional look.

The very next day Jonnie sourced more conservative clothing for them, in effect a uniform, without discussing it with them first. To cut a very long story short the girls in the office went from being happy, carefree and loyal to discussing tendering their resignation and moving on to another workplace. Sometimes the adage “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” is so true.

Cristiane was persuaded by her parents to lease one of the units. She hadn’t really wanted to because she hadn’t decided yet what course her life & career were meant to take. As it happened she was glad that she did take a unit because the other girls were great fun.

Her mother had decided that she should sell hats, scarves, gloves & belts (as she decided most things in Cristianes life) because the theme tied in to what the other units were selling. Cristiane thought it was a lame idea but when her mother insisted on paying all of the upfront costs, she had gone along with it.

She didn’t try very hard to sell anything; if people looked and decided they liked what she had, fine, and if not, that was fine too.

Here we see her friends Iris and Blake messing around in general, but when a friend of Cristianes mother turns up to buy something it gives Cristiane the push that she needs. Iris and Blake each make a purchase too so Cristiane hopes it will keep her mother off her back for a few days.

A second toy stall has opened within the mall, with this one geared more towards boys. Destiny wanted to work in retail so the opportunity to lease this small unit suits her fine for now. She is a collector, and as such has to be careful not to get too hung up on any particular toy, or toy line because as any collector could tell you ‘once bitten by the bug, you are affected for life’ anything can become the next ‘must have’…

The small unit makes the most of space and even has a small area for reading or play. On this particular day Morgan, Amelie and David each shopped there and none were able to offer any suggestions for improvements (Destiny asked each customer to submit anonymous feedback- a nice touch I feel).